Review of American Assassin

There is never a bad time for a good action movie, and American Assassin is definitely one to watch. Starring Dylan O’Brien, Sanaa Lathan and Michael Keaton, American Assassin is about American citizen Mitch Rapp (O’Brien) and his need for revenge after watching his fiance get murdered by terrorists. CIA Deputy Director Irene Kennedy (Lathan) finds him and sends him to Stan Hurley (Keaton) to be trained for a special ops team. Together, the three go on a nail biting journey across Europe to keep a rogue agent from waging nuclear war across the planet. Not surprisingly, Mitch must face the ugly truth of his rage and learn how to push past it in order to save thousands of lives. The movie is filled with action packed fight scenes, touching emotional journeys, and narrow escapes, leaving no time for comic reliefs while the audience is on the edge of their seats.

The real story behind this production, however, is that this is the first film Dylan O’Brien has starred in since his accident on the set of Maze Runner: The Death Cure. In March 2016, O’Brien was hit by one of the vehicles on set, causing several injuries including the shattering of half the bones on his face. This accident halted production of the next Maze Runner movie and sent O’Brien into hiding to heal and recuperate from this trauma.

Having already committed to American Assassin before his accident, O’Brien knew that it would be tough to get back into the routine of getting into shape and then eventually filming more stunts. Fortunately, however, the movie served as a sort of therapy for the actor. He’s claimed that he was able to resonate with Mitch, allowing him to move through his own issues by immersing himself into the role (USA Today). Throughout the film, O’Brien does a good job of allowing the audience to understand the pain and the guilt his character is feeling, making the movie a more enjoyable experience. Fans of Jason Bourne and Jack Reacher will definitely be satisfied with the constant action of this movie, as it doesn’t spare a second to leave folks wanting more. The ending makes it clear, we can expect much more from the story of Mitch Rapp.